Seriously, if I had a back yard larger than a postage stamp and a budget that could accomidate more than a nice dinner ever few weeks, I would totally pimp it out with one of these. I mean, come on!  Look at that one in Thailand!

The standard pool, in all its sparkly-blue, hot-summer-day glory, is enough to send most hearts aflutter. Add an edgy architectural design or sweeping city view, and you may just have your next dream destination.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by ahammel.

What on earth possessed Rachel Hunter to create a $30,000 dog house for her pooch?  From the looks of this list, she’s not alone, but seriously!  There has to be some mortgage/pork barrel joke here

The size (and cost) of these canine abodes is nothing to bark about—especially considering all the thought and handiwork behind them. While we’re the first to admit that the dwellings are a bit over the top, we have to confess that we do tend to indulge in a little pet spoiling from time to time. From the über-chic French Chateau dog house to Rachel Hunter’s Mexican Hacienda dog house, this type of pampering may be outside our price range, but it’s still fun to dream. Check out the pet palaces below to discover new ways to let sleeping dogs lie.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by ahammel.

In Nuanquan, China there is a unique tradition dating back about 500 years to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Instead of using fireworks like any old place – or that the fact that fireworks were invented in China back in the 12th century – these folks celebrate it by using something a bit more dangerous and beautiful with molten iron which is then flung at a wall creating a cascade of sparks. What do they use for protection? Sheep skins and a hat…

**I highly recommend watching this clip by clicking on the High Quality button to really enjoy it!

via – Gizmodo

I have no doubt that this will probably upset the animal rights advocates out there, but at least it will provide a little more happiness to all of you Japanophiles. That’s right, it is exactly what the title post indicates, a dalmatian operating a tricycle. Personally, I love Japan.

Link Via Ohmidog!

This is quite possibly the most ridiculous picture I’ve seen of a dog all day -and I see a lot of crazy dog pics. Seriously, he looks like he’s ready to join a 1960’s all-girl singing group. More pictures behind the scenes of the Westminister Dog Show are availible through the link.

Link Via Cute Overload

Cineleet has an interesting post about movies that depict mentally challenged characters, from those who suffer from mental retardation, savant syndrome, to plain ol’ derangement, and analyzed what made these movies so great:

The 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder highlights an inconvenient Hollywood truth: Oscar loves mental disabilities. In the film, Ben Stiller’s action hero character, Tugg Speedman, wishing to expand beyond his stereotype, attempts to court Oscar sympathies by playing a mentally challenged farmhand. It ends up being a critical failure. This is because, as Tugg’s co-star Robert Downey, Jr warns him, “You never go full retard”. And he has a point.

The most critically acclaimed performances by characters with disabilities still retained something the audience could emotionally relate to.

For instance, take Dustin Hoffman’s award-winning portrayal of the "idiot savant" Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man (1988):

Character: Raymond Babbitt as played by Dustin Hoffman

Mental Disability: Autism / Savant Syndrome
Barry Levinson’s film features Hoffman as an “idiot savant” who possesses a phenomenal capacity to count toothpicks and cheese balls (and later, cards in Vegas). Hoffman’s performance arguably is one of the most ‘affected’ of all the characters on this list, and as such, the hardest to emotionally connect with, particularly for his brother (Tom Cruise), who’s self-centered and primarily interested in the estate their father left Raymond. But in the midst of his worst autistic episodes, Raymond’s primal instinct to care for his younger brother is the touchstone that makes this performance resonate.

What the Critics Thought: The Los Angeles Times called Hoffman’s performance made the film “hypnotically interesting”, and Newsweek’s David Ansen said the film was “made with care, smarts, and a refreshing refusal to settle for the unexpected”.

How it Paid Off: It took home four Oscars that year, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Hoffman.

Link – Thanks Warren!

Old man goes nuts at a car wash because he lost his glasses according to police report. And the whole thing was captured by CCTV. Link: Youtube